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WHY GIVE

Life in God's Economy

Giving is an expression of my heart "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." -Luke12:34

Do I hold loosely to my money? Am I a cheerful giver? Am I reluctant to give? Do I only give out of my leftovers? How I respond to these questions reflects the attitude of my heart.

Giving honors God "It is more blessed to give than to receive." -Acts 20:35

When our hears are right in what we give, this kind of giving honors God. He is honored when we give before we spend or save (Proverbs 3:9), when we give cheerfully (2 Corinthians 9:7), when we give sacrificially (2 Corinthians 8:2,3), and when we give regularly (1 Corinthians 16:2).

Giving funds the mission.

The mission of the church and the needs of people are met as we engage and grow in the grace of giving.

How Much to Give

This is a great question and one worthy of further exploration. The New Testament seems to leave this subject rather open ended. While the Old Testament law required a tenth (10%) to be given, the New Testament encourages us to give out of a response to His love. This of course presents a challenge to those who need to know the bottom line, who need a safe rule. First, any serious follower of Christ who wants to honor God in every area of their life will seek to know and understand His heart in this area. The will invite the Holy Spirit to be part of their giving rhythms. They will seek to know what the Bible has to say about giving. Secondly, God does not need our money or our compliance. He is, however, interested in relationship with us. This is the source of our motivation - to honor Him. For it is impossible to love God and not give (Matthew 6:24). Lastly, Pastor Jamie Munson sums it up well in his book, Money: God or Gift when he says, "if our giving does not require us to trust God, there'a a good chance we're simply going through the motions. As a pastor at Mars Hill, I've often counseled and taught that 10 percent is a good place to start. For most people, 10 percent represents an amount that challenges them to walk faithfully in this area of their life. Depending on the circumstances of life, for some a tenth isn't enought. For others it may be too much."

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